Notes from Israel continued
The festival is open to anyone in Israel, and videos
Although Israel's environmental challenges remain
In an attempt to help raise consciousness about
are being accepted in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.
daunting, this competition may inspire future leaders
these problems among Israel's youth, I came up with
All mobile technologies, including cellular phone
to develop innovative ways to lessen the collective
the idea of holding a national environmental video
cameras, video cameras, and laptop cameras, can be
human footprint on the land and to improve quality
competition that would link environmentalism,
used to produce content.
of life in the process.
mobile communication, and social media networks.
The competition started January 20 on Tu Bishvat, a
Videos can be viewed at apps.facebook.com/
EcoClip is designed to find and publicize solutions
holiday that marks a "New Year for Trees." Since that
ecoclip. 0
for coping with Israel's environmental challenges in
date, videos have been uploaded to Facebook and
creative and effective ways.
diffused through countless social networks on the
"We want to emphasize the power we have together
and the things we can change with it," says Michal
Cohen, director of the Shari Arison Awareness
web. When the competition concludes on February
20, a panel of celebrity judges will select the winners
and award prizes.
Charles Salmon is the Ellis N. Brandt
Endowed Chair in Public Relations at
MSU and former dean of MSU's College
of Communication Arts and Sciences.
Communication Center, one of the festival's
cosponsors along with the Sammy Ofer School of
Communications at the Interdisciplinary Center
The power to tackle the planet's problems continuer
Herzliya in Herzliya, Israel, and the Ellis N. Brandt
reading and learning about faraway communities
MSU continues to expand international
Endowed Chair in Public Relations at Michigan State
where there are so many problems. To
programming in Israel and is one of just eight U.S.
University.
experience a new culture is something every
universities operating programs there. MSU
student should do."
recently received a grant from the New York
EcoClip is fashioned after mobile phone film festivals
nonprofit Masa Israel Journey to promote and
held in countries such as China, Japan, France, and
Sophomore Madeleine Blum, a student in the
the United States. It also complements EcoCinema,
Residential College in the Arts and Humanities
an environmental film festival held annually in Israel
from Beverly Hills, Michigan, participated in a
since 2004.
study abroad program last summer that focused
expand its existing Israel programs. In the works is
a new semester-long program at Hebrew
on nature, culture, and environmental
However, what makes EcoClip unique is its emphasis
on the use of social media as a tool to proactively
reach larger segments of Israel's population. Videos
are not just created to show to a small audience;
instead, they are uploaded to the Internet and
pushed through Facebook networks to greatly
expand the potential reach of environmental
messages in Israel and throughout the world.
Stephen Spielberg, meet Mark Zuckerberg.
sustainability in Israel.
University in Jerusalem that is slated to take place
each spring and is expected to begin in 2012.
"This program will reach a broader audience of
"We traveled throughout Israel to learn about some
of the efforts that are currently being made to try
to save crucial land, such as the Negev, Ein Gedi,
and the Golan Heights, as well as talked to people
who live in Israel about their opinions on the
matter," says Blum. "I feel more connected with
Israel now after meeting so many people and
students and will open access to wider course
opportunities that will count toward their majors,"
says Ken Waltzer, director of the Jewish Studies
Program. "Hebrew University is one of the great
universities in the world. For anyone who is
interested in their Jewish heritage, Jerusalem is an
interesting place to be." 0
visiting so many locations."
The particular topics of focus are energy
MSU'S GLOBAL GOODS
conservation, air pollution, water conservation,
recycling, and keeping beaches clean.
SIXTH LARGEST
PRODUCER OF
NEARLY
PEACE CORPS
MORE THAN 260
VOLUNTEERS SINCE
THE CORPS
WAS FOUNDED IN 1961
STUDY ABROAD
PROGRAMS
IN MORE THAN
60 COUNTRIES
ON ALL CONTINENTS
1,500 MSU
FACULTY
MEMBERS
INVOLVED IN
INTERNATIONAL
RESEARCH,
TEACHING, AND
SERVICE PROJECTS
KW. 110
41 1811W
IN STUDY ABROAD
AMONG PUBLIC
UNIVERSITIES FOR
SIX
CONSECUTIVE YEARS
The EcoClip video competition provides a platform to spread the
word about environmental issues in Tel Aviv and across Israel with
the help of social media.
ONE OF FIVE U.S.
UNIVERSITIES
THAT RANK IN THE
TOP 10
FOR BOTH STUDY
ABROAD PARTICIPATION
AND INTERNATIONAL
STUDENT ENROLLMENT
Oti
M SU
STUDENTS
COME FROM
MORE THAN
130
COUNTRIES .
„r.
ONE OF EIGHT U.S. UNIVERSITIES OPERATING STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS IN ISRAEL